A Fond Farewell
“Lyen,” Jacy called out to their resident nun - a nun with an inviting, seductive nature. “You’ve been so serene and speechless. Has the fondness you found on Valentine confined you to your cabin this entire time?” Jacy nudged Lyen with her elbow. “Let the batteries cool down, girl or you’ll hurt yourself.” Ly’s eyes were wider than the sun. For half a second she considered pretending not to hear Jacy, but she would just say it again and louder. Instead, she decided to simply ignore the second remark and focus on the first. “Actually, I’ve been discussing religion with our passenger, Ms. Schnabel. The Drogs have been a handful in themselves, so I’ve been helping out Gill in their pens.” Those huge balls of fur had been great company. Vas, taking a short break, came walking into the galley for what was apparently cold tea. “Batteries?” Vas asked with a tilt of his head as he started warming up the kettle. Jacy grabbed Vas’ attention - or he’d already been looking at her - and made an unobtrusive, yet smutty gesture behind Ly’s back. It was very reminiscent of number 7 from the Companion’s list. She lowered her voice and spoke directly to the nun. “Is the widow as high strung as she came across in my shuttle? It was an emergency situation, but even so…” “Hmm?” Lyen offered with raised eyebrows, pretending not to hear Vas’ question. “Oh she’s just a little old fashioned. She has a fascinating take on how the Verse was created. My head is still spinning. She’s a kind-hearted woman, left in a cold world.” Vas simply bit his tongue on the matter choosing instead to be super-duper interested in the tea warming up! Fascinating! “That’s what you two discuss? Origin theories? Sorry, faith based origins of theological division?” Jacy was feeling a bit ornery today and poor Lyen was not to blame. “It came up over tea,” she said, nonchalantly picking up her own mug and standing beside Vas to watch the kettle boil. “You look like you could use some rest, Vas. Has Riley been running you ragged?” There was a playful smile on her face. “No rest for the wicked … or so they say.” Vas tried not to blush. There were very good … personal … reasons that he was not complaining about why he hadn’t gotten tons of sleep. Jacy gave him a look as if she had expected more of a cheerful divulgement on his part. “Sugarbear has been very naughty, but he is never wicked. I sometimes wish he --” Jacy lurched upwards on the balls of her feet as Vas goosed her. Ly tried to keep a smirk from playing on her face. “You’ve put a great effort toward watching over your canine charges. I’m sure the Captain will see their safety and care as worth noting. Might even earn you a nap. Is it often that a Crew Chief is responsible for eight Drog Kri?” The kettle had boiled and Lyen was pouring a cup for Vas, Jacy and herself. She still had some honeybush leaves from their jaunt in Valentine and offered them each a cup of the musky stuff. Vas gave a quick glance to Jacy wondering if Lyen knew he had gotten fired. Jacy shrugged ever so slightly. “Er … I do whatever the Captain needs me to I guess,” he answered, clearing his throat and taking a keen interest in his tea at the moment. Lyen didn’t miss the knowing glance, cocking her head. “Is everything alright?” Her tea suspended in mid air, her face grew concerned. Vas had proven to be sure of himself in most circumstances, but now, she felt an unease, almost resignation from the man. He looked defeated, from the lines in his brow and the slump in his shoulders: she caught herself chewing the inside of her lip. “All good,” Vas said, taking a sip from his tea. No need to worry everyone since every time someone found out they had a powerful need to try to talk to Riley and that was the last thing he wanted! Probably only would make things worse! “Just a long haul with dogs in the cargo bay. Extra hours and all that,” he said, playing it off. Jacy rubbed his arm affectionately and floated a cup of honeybush to her lips. Lyen was unconvinced, but it seemed obvious that he didn’t want to talk about it. She tilted her cup to drink her tea while she regarded Vas. Extra hours were one thing, whether or not Vas was happy or unhappy about it was another. She changed the subject. “We’ll be docking at the Skyplex soon. Do you need any help procuring what you need for the Lunar Veil?” “Oh … um no, I’m actually ...getting off,” he said, taking a big gulp of hot tea. “... at the Skyplex. So. Marisol would be the one to talk to if you wanted to help in that regard,” Vas answered, innocently. He received a gentle nudge from Jacy and decided to up the honesty. “After the incident with the engines, Riley canned me.” Catching Jacy’s eye, “That couldn’t have been your fault, could it? Were you to blame for the fuel leak? I’m sorry,” she said, one hand at rubbing her temple, “but I’m having trouble correlating the hard work you’ve put in to keep up the captain’s precious Drogs, along with the work you do as Crew Chief, with what seems to be a ship malfunction.” “Nothing to correlate; Lieutenant says I did wrong, I did wrong,” Vas said for what had to be the third time. He just didn’t understand what was so hard to understand. “Fact is the only opinion that matters is the Lieutenant’s. Not much to ponder beyond that.” Jacy made an averse sound and moved away from Vas, her lips tight. The tall man was hardly more than a child in many ways and she would need to remind herself of that later when she chose to forgive the unintentional insult. There was already a battle lost there, and Vas seemed to have no fight left in him. On one hand, Ly’s internal compass of right and wrong dipped sharply to the right. On the other hand, Riley, with her military background and love for the chain of command, made it difficult to believe that she would consider changing her mind once a call was made. The chain of command… Was it not true that the Captain held full sway, in the end? “Riley may have her reasons, but what does the Captain have to say?” “What he would say?” Vas blinked. “I mean not like he would go against Riley since that's her job. Hiring and firing that is.” The young punk pointed out. “So … not much?” He shrugged. Jacy made another unfriendly sound and laid her cup down on the table. “I think I will lie down for a bit. I suddenly feel quite useless.” She silently stormed from the galley, her hips and hair swinging in time with her offended steps. Vas blinked, not knowing what got under Jacy’s skin. He hoped it wasn’t something he said. Jacy’s reaction indicated that her line of questioning had been traveled before, and Vas’ shrug told Lyen that the young man had put the matter to rest. He seemed to accept his fate and had, perhaps, new plans of his own. She realized just how much she might miss him; his bantering with Jacy, his conviction to stand up for what was right, even his roguish nature. From the moment they met, he had treated her with respect. She had not forgotten his low bow and Buddhist greetings. He had made an effort to reach her, and though the nun found the punk, at times, rash, she remembered him with a fondness that comes only to those who work and live together on a boat like the Lunar Veil. Setting down her cup, she rose to stand next to him. Ly placed a gentle hand on Vas’ shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that you’ll be leaving us,” she said, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to give you a blessing. May you have happiness and its causes, May you be freed from suffering and its causes, May you constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow, May you dwell in equal love for those both close and distant. Though we will be distant, Vas, know that your kind heart will always be cherished here.”